Method of marketing and promoting sporting activities and an article for carrying out said method

ABSTRACT

A method of marketing and/or promoting an organized sport and/or a method of association of an individual and/or an organization with organized sports, such as a corporation. utilizing a three-dimensional novelty item, puzzle, and/or gaming object which simulates the appearance, and preferably the color and shape of the gaming object for that particular organized sport.

FIELD OF INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to a method of promotion and marketingorganized sport utilizing an article that simulates in appearance theparticular object utilized in playing the particular sport.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Societies world-wide follow organized sporting activities with apassion. With regard to those sporting activities there are manycollectibles for sporting enthusiasts of a particular sport. Forexample, many young people collect player trading cards for baseball,football, hockey and basketball. Some of the player trading cards comewith separate stands in order to have the card oriented in a verticaldirection. There are also figures carried on a pedestal which areavailable for particular sports. Some individuals collect the actualplaying object itself, such as hockey pucks, footballs, basketballs,baseballs or the like that may be autographed. Organizations generallyand particularly business corporations recognize the value of utilizingsports as a vehicle for reaching their particular market, and thereforechose to associate themselves with a particular sport for businesspurposes.

[0003] Three dimensional puzzles are well known typically as taught inGreat Britain Patent Application No. 2,074,459 wherein a generallyoctagonally shaped puzzle is described and illustrated. Similarly, inthe catalogue of Aware Marketing Group Ltd. a puzzle is offered having asubstantially disk shape, essentially following the teachings of theaforementioned Great Britain Patent Application with the exception thatthe octagonal shape of the puzzle is replaced with a disk. The samecatalogue offers a variety of shaped puzzles including cubes,rectangles, triangles and the like.

[0004] Further, U.S. Pat. No. 4,323,244 teaches an alternative form of acubic puzzle which includes score lines and substantially pyramidalshaped portions which are interconnected proximate one side of thepyramid.

[0005] All these products are made from paper and properly folded as setout in the particular specifications, which are hereby incorporated byreference with respect to the method of fastening the pyramidal shapedportions together to form the various puzzles, and the method in whichthe puzzle, particularly the disk shaped puzzle may be moved from afirst position when the puzzle is closed to a second position whereinthe puzzle is split to expose a particular face within the puzzle.

[0006] It is also known within the business community, for example, thefast food restaurants which sell burgers, chicken, Mexican food, pizzaor the like, to provide novelty items to promote particular deals theymay have at that particular time period and to encourage parents andteenagers to purchase these particular special offerings in order toobtain the novelty item for their young children, or in the case of theteenager for themselves. It is also known when attending a sportingactivity that various sellers of novelty items are located in thestadium or arena selling banners, caps, and sweatshirts and the likeincluding hockey schedules, magazines, or the like.

[0007] To the best of Applicant's knowledge no where within the priorart is there taught the promotion of an organized sport such as hockey,baseball, football, basketball or the like utilizing a simulation of theobject used, for example baseball, basketball, football, or hockey, inthe form of a puzzle which may be transformed or manipulated from afirst position wherein the puzzle appears as, or is associated with thegaming object to a second position wherein the gaming object istransformed, manipulated and/or split to expose an image, including forexample, a player image, a game schedule, team logos, and suitableadvertising information. No where in the prior art is such an objectfound utilized to carry out, the promotion of an organized sport, suchas hockey or the other games listed above and/or is the association ofan individual and/or organization with organized sport such as forexample, a corporate sponsor.

[0008] It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a method ofmarketing and/or promoting an organized sport and/or a method ofassociation of an individual and/or an organization with organizedsports, such as a corporation, utilizing a three-dimensional puzzle likegaming object which simulates the appearance, and preferably the colourand shape of the gaming object for that particular organized sport.

[0009] It is a further object of the invention to provide the gamingobject for carrying out said aforementioned method of marketing,promotion, and/or association.

[0010] It is a further object of the invention to provide a method ofpromoting and/or marketing hockey and/or a method of association of anindividual and/or an organization with hockey utilizing a hockey puckpuzzle which simulates the appearance of a hockey puck in appearance andpreferably colour and shape.

[0011] Further and other objects of the invention will become apparentto a man skilled in the art when considering the following summary ofthe invention and the more detailed description of the preferredembodiments illustrated herein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0012] It is intended that the term promotion is meant to be read as anymarketing effort of a particular organized sport, or that of anyorganization, such as a corporation, wishing to associate themselveswith the sport for marketing purposes.

[0013] The primary purpose of the invention is to provide a method ofmarketing and/or promoting an organized sport and/or a method ofassociation of an individual and/or an organization with organizedsports, such as a corporation, utilizing a three-dimensional noveltyitem, puzzle, and/or gaming object which simulates the appearance, andpreferably the color and shape of the gaming object for that particularorganized sport. There is also provided a three-dimensional noveltyitem, puzzle, and/or gaming object which simulates the appearance, andpreferably the color and shape of the gaming object for that particularorganized sport. Preferably said three-dimensional novelty item, puzzle,and/or gaming object is made from paper or the functional equivalentthereof.

[0014] According to a primary object of this invention there is provideda simulated sporting article such as a preferred hockey puck, baseball,basketball, football or the like in the form of a novelty and/or puzzlelike article for the promotion of the particular organized sport inquestion, and preferably hockey. In order to carry out a method ofpromotion and/or marketing of an organized sport and preferably hockeyand/or a method of association of an individual and/or an organizationwith organized sport, such as a corporation, the three dimensionalnovelty and/or puzzle like article is provided which simulates theappearance of a sporting object such as a baseball, football, basketballand preferably a hockey puck or the like and simulates said object inthree dimensions in appearance and preferably color and shape. One ofthe surfaces of the simulated-sporting object, for example the preferredhockey puck, may include a separation or split, or said object may bemanipulated or transformed in order to preferably transform, manipulateseparate or split the gaming object, and preferred hockey puck, from afirst position to a second position wherein an image is exposed.Preferably the image includes the images of players in a particularorganized sport, and preferably hockey players in the preferredembodiment, game schedules, team logos, and advertising or the like. Thethree dimensional novelty and/or puzzle may take various forms whichwill be described hereinafter including disks, spheres, cubes,triangles, ellipsoids or the like.

[0015] In one embodiment of the invention there is taught a method ofmarketing and/or promotion of an organized sport such as hockey,baseball, football, basketball or the like utilizing a simulation of thesporting object used, for example baseball, basketball, football, orhockey, in the form of a novelty and preferably a puzzle which may betransformed or manipulated from a first position wherein the puzzleappears as, or is associated with the gaming object to a second positionwherein the gaming object is transformed, manipulated and/or split toexpose an image, including for example, a player image, a game schedule,team logos, and suitable advertising information as desired by acorporate sponsor.

[0016] Preferably said sporting object, puzzle, or novelty includes amultiplicity of interconnected segments which allows said sportingobject, puzzle, or novelty, preferably a hockey puck, to be transformed,manipulated separated or split from a first position to a secondposition wherein the image is exposed.

[0017] According to yet another aspect of the invention there isprovided a method of promotion and/or advertising comprising the stepsof:

[0018] i) providing an interactive promotional item being asubstantially disk shaped body simulating a hockey puck in appearanceand shape,

[0019] ii) preferably providing a separation or split in said body so asto enable manipulation or transformation thereof,

[0020] iii) providing an image of a hockey nature observable preferablywhen the body is separated or split,

[0021] iv) preferably providing images as follows:

[0022] i) hockey players which may include statistical information,

[0023] ii) hockey schedules, team logos, or the like,

[0024] iii) advertising or the like,

[0025] v) if necessary or desired returning the body to its unsplit orunseparated condition,

[0026] vi) preferably splitting or separating the body in a secondmanner to observe a different image,

[0027] wherein said promotional item may be distributed for promotionpurposes to the public having an interest in hockey.

[0028] According to yet another aspect of the invention there isprovided method of promotion and/or advertising comprising the steps of:

[0029] i) providing an interactive promotional item being apredetermined shaped body simulating a gaming object in appearance andshape, said gaming object being selected from the group of objects offor example, a basket ball, football, baseball soccer ball or the like,

[0030] ii) preferably providing a separation or split in said item so asto enable manipulation thereof,

[0031] iii) providing an image observable preferably when the item isseparated or split,

[0032] iv) preferably providing images as follows:

[0033] i) players which may include statistical information,

[0034] ii) schedules, team logos or the like,

[0035] iii) advertising or the like,

[0036] v) if required desired returning the item to its unsplit orunseparated condition,

[0037] vi) preferably splitting or separating the body in a secondmanner to observe a different image,

[0038] wherein said promotional item may be distributed for promotionpurposes to the public having an interest in a particular organizedsport.

[0039] According to yet another aspect of the invention there isprovided a transformable disc shaped promotional item simulating orresembling a hockey puck, said transformable item comprising a top,bottom, and an edge having a predetermined width separating said top andbottom, said top and bottom being substantially circular in shape andhaving substantially the same diameters, said top having at least one ofand preferably a predetermined number of first separations thereininterrupting the continuity of surface thereof and extending to thebottom and terminating thereat, not interrupting the continuity of thesurface of said bottom, preferably said bottom also having at least oneand preferably a predetermined number of second separations thereininterrupting the continuity of the surface thereof and extending to thetop and terminating thereat not interrupting the continuity of thesurface of said top, said promotional item having first panel membersextending from said top proximate each of said first separations towardssaid bottom and being affixed to said bottom but not to adjacent firstpanel members, preferably said promotional item having second panelmembers extending from said bottom proximate each of said preferredsecond separations towards said top and being affixed to said top butnot to adjacent second panel members, said first and preferred secondpanel members having disposed thereon an image, (for example i) an imageof a hockey player preferably including their history and statistics,ii) an image of a hockey league schedule, iii) an advertisement, and/oriv) hockey memorabilia or the like) said promotional item beingtransformable from a non-transformed position, wherein said itemsubstantially resembles a hockey puck, to at least a first transformedposition wherein at least one of said first panels is exposed when thepromotional item is manipulated from the non-transformed position to theat least one first transformed position, preferably said promotionalitem also being transformable from the non-transformed position to atleast a second transformed position wherein at least one of said secondpanels is exposed when the promotional item is manipulated from thenon-transformed position to the preferred at least one secondtransformed position, wherein said transformable item may be distributedto the public as a promotional item.

[0040] According to yet another aspect of the invention there isprovided an interactive promotional item comprising a predeterminedshaped body simulating a gaming object in appearance and shape, saidgaming object being selected from the group of objects of a basket ball,football, baseball, soccer ball or the like,

[0041] said gaming object having a split or separation therein so as toenable manipulation or transformation thereof,

[0042] preferably said object having an image observable when the itemis manipulated, said image being selected from the group of images of:

[0043] i) players which may include statistical information,

[0044] ii) schedules, team logos or the like,

[0045] iii) advertising or the like,

[0046] wherein said promotional item may be distributed to the publichaving an interest in a particular organized sport.

[0047] According to yet another aspect of the invention there isprovided an interactive promotional item comprising a substantially diskshaped body simulating a hockey puck in appearance and shape,

[0048] preferably said item having a split or separation in said body soas to enable manipulation or transformation thereof,

[0049] wherein an image of a hockey nature is observable when the bodyis split, said image being selected from the group of images as follows:

[0050] i) hockey players which may include statistical information,

[0051] ii) hockey schedules, team logos or the like,

[0052] iii) advertising or the like,

[0053] wherein said promotional item may be distributed to the publichaving an interest in hockey.

[0054] In all cases when manufacturing the sporting object of theinvention the novelty or puzzle or simulated sporting object ismanufactured from paper of suitable strength or any functionalalternative, for example plastic.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0055]FIGS. 1A through 1C are perspective schematic views of oneembodiment of the invention.

[0056]FIGS. 2A through 2C are perspective schematic views for anotherembodiment of the invention.

[0057]FIGS. 3A and 3B are schematic perspective views of yet anotherembodiment of the invention.

[0058]FIGS. 4A through 4G are schematic perspective views of a preferredembodiment of the invention.

[0059]FIGS. 5 and 5A are schematic views of yet another embodiment ofthe invention.

[0060]FIGS. 6 and 6A are schematic views of another embodiment of theinvention.

[0061]FIG. 7 is a schematic view of yet another embodiment of theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0062] It is intended that all material contained herein in relation tothe description of the various embodiments of the invention beinterpreted in relation to a method of promoting and/or marketing asport by providing sporting enthusiasts with a simulation of the objectused for playing the sport, for example a simulated hockey puck,simulated baseball, simulated basketball, simulated football or thelike, and putting in the hands of the sporting enthusiasts said item.The size of the simulation may vary in relation to the actual sportingobject from very small, for example when simulating a basketball, tolarger than life, for example when simulating a golf ball, depending onthe choice of sport.

[0063] Various professional and amateur organizations or leagues canutilize such an item to promote the league and the players, team logosor the like. Further, when using the term promotion it is intended thatthis would include organizations which wish to associate themselves witha particular in sport in order to market the organization, for examplethe charity or corporation, to sporting enthusiasts. For example,various fast food chains may choose to include their logo with anysimulated hockey puck, for example, baseball or otherwise. Any of thevarious expressions of the sporting article of the invention illustratedherein can be used in association with the aforementioned promotionmethod.

[0064] Referring to FIGS. 1A through 1C there is illustrated schematicviews of a simulated hockey puck (10) being formed by two hingedsections (15 and 20) which are moveable in relation to one another andfastened together via a hinge (10 a) as seen in FIG. 1C. The simulatedhockey puck (10) includes a top and a bottom section (15 and 20). Thetop section (15) includes a top surface (15 b) wherein a team logo orthat of a league can be affixed thereto and has located on the oppositeside on the bottom (15 c) thereof a player image. Similarly, the bottomportion (20) may include an image of a player proximate the bottomsurface (20 b) and a player or schedule or corporate or team logo or thelike proximate surface (20 c). The novelty item (10) therefor is in aclosed position and simulates the appearance of a hockey puck andpreferably in colour, that is black, and being substantially diskshaped. Once portion (15) is moved in relation to portion (20) to exposethe images (15 c and 20 c) it may be returned to its closed position asseen in FIG. 1C wherein the two portions (15 and 20) and the surfaces(15C and 20C) abut.

[0065] Referring now to FIGS. 5, 5A, 6 and 6A, similar views are shownin relation to the promotion of the sports of baseball and footballwhich would operate in identical manner to those expressed in FIGS. 1Athrough 1C. The simulated baseball (80) therefore of FIG. 5 includesportions (81 and 82) comprising a top and a bottom portion which arehinged in the same manner as FIGS. 1A through 1C and includes surfaces(81 a and 82 a) which may include various images of team logos, baseballschedules, player images and statistics, and organizational advertisingmaterials. The same is true for the football image of Figure (90), thenovelty item (90) therefore includes portions (91 and 92) which arehinged together as is described in relation to the hockey puck example,having surfaces (91 a and 92 a) wherein images as described above inrelation to football would be retained.

[0066] Referring now to FIGS. 2A through 2C there is illustrated inschematic view an alternative expression to that of FIGS. 1A through 1C.The simulated puck (20) therefore includes a top (30) and a ring likeportion (40) having sides (41) and a hollow (42) having a bottom, notshown. The top portion (30) is therefore hinged to the portion (40) viaa hinge (20 a) proximate the top circumference of portion (40). The top(30 a) of the top portion (30) includes a team logo and may equallyinclude a league logo or other player images or the like. The underside(31) of the top (30) includes images as well and in the figure a playerimage is illustrated. The space (42) includes a void which may be usedto store small items. In another alternative round player trader cardsmay be inserted in the simulated hockey puck (20) which may be usedthereafter as a package in order to sell hockey player trading cards tothe sporting enthusiasts.

[0067] Referring now to FIGS. 3A and 3B there is illustrated anotherembodiment of the invention wherein a simulated hockey puck (50) ispresented being a hollow disk member, having a top (50 a) and a bottom(50 b) wherein proximate the top a hockey league team logo or alternateimage may be presented and proximate the bottom any alternate image maybe presented such as a hockey league schedule. The simulated pucktherefore (50) can be used with regard to the advertising, promotion andassociation method described in the Summary of the Invention andhereafter. A separate ring (60) may further be provided for thesimulated puck (50) which can be used in addition thereto. But this isnot absolutely necessary. A ring (60) if used, has located proximate theexterior thereof (60 b) various windows (60 c and 60 d). The ringportion therefore (60) is of slightly larger diameter than the exteriordiameter of the ring portion (50 b) of the simulated puck portion (50).The portion (50) therefore would be assembled with the portion (60) withthe portion (60) being free to rotate and yet still having a loosefriction fit with regard to the puck portion (50) so that the ring canrotate freely when manipulated. The windows (60 c and 60 d) extendaround the surface of the ring (60) and may include alternate opaque andtransparent windows which may be rotated in relation to the surface (50b) of the simulated puck which may include other windows (50 d. Thewindows (50 d) may include images in relation to team logos, playerimages, advertising, promotional information for organizations such ascorporations or the like, and they are hidden when the window (60 c)covers the window (50 d) until such time as the ring (60) is rotated sothat the window (60 d) which is transparent is oriented with the window(50 d) containing the image to expose the image. In another expressionthe windows (60 c, 60 d, 60 e and 60 f) may be transparent and whenrotated in relation to the windows (50 e through 50 i) located proximateone side of the portion (50 b) the words of a particular player name mayappear which may be covered again when the windows (60 c through 60 f)are rotated so that opaque portions cover the player name.

[0068] Referring now to FIGS. 4A through 4G there is illustrated apreferred embodiment of the invention in the form of a simulated hockeypuck taking the form of a puzzle (70) which includes a top (70 a) and abottom (70 b) and has disposed proximate the top thereof (70 a) segments(1A through 1D) separated by splits (71 and 72) and having disposedproximate the bottom thereof (70 b) portions (2A through 2D) formed byseparations (73 and 74). The puzzle is formed from substantiallytriangular shaped wedges (75) which are joined together proximate theedges thereof (76) as well as being joined to, in the case of FIG. 4C,the bottom (70 b) with the various segments (75) being linked togetherto create surfaces (3A through 3D) and in the case of the top surface(70 a), surfaces (4A, 4B, 5A and 5B). The manipulation of this puzzle istaught in the prior art cited in the background of the invention inrelation to the generic disk shape thereof, the teachings of which arehereby incorporated by reference with regard to the form of the puzzleand the manipulation thereof as taught in Great Britain PatentApplication No. 2,074,459. It is the intention to utilize the puzzle inrelation to the method of marketing and promoting hockey, by theassociation of images contained on the various surfaces (1A through 1D,2A through 2D, 3A through 3D and 4A, 4B, 5A and 5B) with organizedhockey. The puzzle (70) therefore is transformable by the manipulationof the segment portions (75) to a position shown in FIG. 4D oralternatively to that shown in FIGS. 4E, 4F and 4G. The faces therefore(3A and 3B) either alone or in combination will present the imagedesired such as a player image with statistical information in thepreferred embodiment or a team schedule, logo or advertising informationor the like. The puzzle therefore is manipulated to take that positionor alternatively to that shown in FIGS. 4F or 4G wherein further teamlogos or particularly in the preferred embodiment scheduling informationfor the particular team name, such as the team of FIG. 1A is shown.Further, corporate advertising information and logos may appear forexample on surfaces (5A and 5B).

[0069] The embodiments therefore of the figures containing a simulatedhockey puck may be utilized to promote hockey as described abovedirectly or indirectly, that is by the hockey league itself or by aparticular team, or in association with a corporation wishing toassociate itself with a particular hockey league or a team in order tomarket the corporation to sporting enthusiasts.

[0070] It is intended that all of the various forms of the invention maybe utilized to promote, market, and foster the particular sportingleague or team, or a corporation associating itself, or an organizationassociating itself such as a charity with a particular sport or team, orleague.

[0071] The method of promotion and/or advertising will include the stepsof:

[0072] i) providing an interactive promotional item being asubstantially disk shaped body simulating a hockey puck in appearanceand shape as illustrated in the figures and described above,

[0073] ii) preferably providing a split or separation in said body so asto enable manipulation or transformation thereof,

[0074] iii) providing an image of a hockey nature observable preferablywhen the body is split or separated,

[0075] iv) preferably providing images as follows:

[0076] i) hockey players which may include statistical information,

[0077] ii) hockey schedules, team logos, or the like,

[0078] iii) advertising or the like,

[0079] v) if necessary desired returning the body to its unsplitcondition,

[0080] vi) preferably splitting the body in a second manner to observe adifferent image,

[0081] wherein said promotional item may be distributed for promotionpurposes to the public having an interest in hockey.

[0082] According to yet another aspect of the invention there isprovided method of promotion and/or advertising comprising the steps of:

[0083] i) providing an interactive promotional item being apredetermined shaped body simulating a gaming object in appearance andshape, said gaming object being selected from the group of objects offor example, a basket ball, football, baseball soccer ball or the like,

[0084] ii) preferably providing a split or separation in said item so asto enable manipulation thereof,

[0085] iii) providing an image observable preferably when the item issplit,

[0086] iv) preferably providing images as follows:

[0087] i) players which may include statistical information,

[0088] ii) schedules, team logos or the like,

[0089] iii) advertising or the like,

[0090] v) if required desired returning the item to its unsplitcondition,

[0091] vi) preferably splitting the body in a second manner to observe adifferent image,

[0092] wherein said promotional item may be distributed for promotionpurposes to the public having an interest in a particular organizedsport.

[0093] Finally, with regard to FIG. 7 there is provided a generic cubicpuzzle which is taught in the prior art which may also be used in orderto exploit the method of the present invention. The puzzle (100)therefore includes segments (100 a) which are interconnected together ina manner as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,323,244 the teachings of which arehereby incorporated by reference. The surface (101) and the various sideand bottom surfaces which are unlabelled may also contain images orinformation related to a particular sport and where appropriategraphical images of the various sporting object such as a football,baseball, basketball, soccer ball, golf ball, hockey puck or the likemay be disposed on any one of said surfaces (101). Similarly,alternative shapes such as those known in the prior art of triangularshapes, pyramid shapes or the like may be utilized in exploiting theinvention without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0094] As many changes can be made to the preferred embodiments withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention; it is intended that allmatter contained herein be considered illustrative of the invention andnot in a limiting sense.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are as follows:
 1. A method of marketing and/orpromoting an organized sport and/or a method of association of anindividual and/or an organization with organized sports, such as acorporation. utilizing a three-dimensional novelty item, puzzle, and/orgaming object which simulates the appearance, and preferably the colorand shape of the gaming object for that particular organized sport.
 2. Athree-dimensional novelty item, puzzle, and/or gaming object whichsimulates the appearance, and preferably the color and shape of thegaming object for that particular organized sport, saidthree-dimensional novelty item, puzzle, and/or gaming object being madefrom paper or the functional equivalent thereof.
 3. A simulated sportingarticle such as a preferred hockey puck, baseball, basketball, footballor the like in the form of a novelty and/or puzzle like article for thepromotion of the particular organized sport in question, the threedimensional novelty and/or puzzle like article simulating the appearanceof a sporting object such as a baseball, football, basketball andpreferably a hockey puck or the like and simulates said object in threedimensions in appearance and preferably color and shape, one of thesurfaces of the simulated sporting object, for example the preferredhockey puck, including a separation or split, or said object may bemanipulated or transformed in order to preferably transform, manipulateseparate or split the gaming object, and preferred hockey puck, from afirst position to a second position wherein an image is exposed.
 4. Thethree dimensional novelty and/or puzzle of claim 3 which takes variousforms selected from the group including disks, spheres, cubes,triangles, ellipsoids or the like.
 5. A method of marketing and/orpromotion of an organized sport such as hockey, baseball, football,basketball or the like utilizing a simulation of the sporting objectused, for example baseball, basketball, football, or hockey, in the formof a novelty and preferably a puzzle which may be transformed ormanipulated from a first position wherein the puzzle appears as, or isassociated with the gaming object to a second position wherein thegaming object is transformed, manipulated and/or split to expose animage.
 6. The method of claim 5 wherein said image is selected from thegroup of a player image, a game schedule, team logos, and suitableadvertising information as desired by a corporate sponsor.
 7. Thesporting object, puzzle, or novelty of claim 3 further comprising amultiplicity of interconnected segments which allows said sportingobject, puzzle, or novelty, preferably a hockey puck, to be transformed,manipulated separated or split from a first position to a secondposition wherein the image is exposed.
 8. A method of promotion and/oradvertising comprising the steps of: i) providing an interactivepromotional item being a substantially disk shaped body simulating ahockey puck in appearance and shape, ii) preferably providing aseparation or split in said body so as to enable manipulation ortransformation thereof, iii) providing an image of a hockey natureobservable preferably when the body is separated or split, iv)preferably providing images as follows: i) hockey players which mayinclude statistical information, ii) hockey schedules, team logos, orthe like, iii) advertising or the like, v) if necessary or desiredreturning the body to its unsplit or unseparated condition, vi)preferably splitting or separating the body in a second manner toobserve a different image, wherein said promotional item may bedistributed for promotion purposes to the public having an interest inhockey.
 9. A method of promotion and/or advertising comprising the stepsof: i) providing an interactive promotional item being a predeterminedshaped body simulating a gaming object in appearance and shape, saidgaming object being selected from the group of objects of for example, abasket ball, football, baseball soccer ball or the like, ii) preferablyproviding a separation or split in said item so as to enablemanipulation thereof, iii) providing an image observable preferably whenthe item is separated or split, iv) preferably providing images asfollows: i) players which may include statistical information, ii)schedules, team logos or the like, iii) advertising or the like, v) ifrequired desired returning the item to its unsplit or unseparatedcondition, vi) preferably splitting or separating the body in a secondmanner to observe a different image, wherein said promotional item maybe distributed for promotion purposes to the public having an interestin a particular organized sport.
 10. A transformable disc shapedpromotional item simulating or resembling a hockey puck, saidtransformable item comprising a top, bottom, and an edge having apredetermined width separating said top and bottom, said top and bottombeing substantially circular in shape and having substantially the samediameters, said top having at least one of and preferably apredetermined number of first separations therein interrupting thecontinuity of surface thereof and extending to the bottom andterminating thereat, not interrupting the continuity of the surface ofsaid bottom, preferably said bottom also having at least one andpreferably a predetermined number of second separations thereininterrupting the continuity of the surface thereof and extending to thetop and terminating thereat not interrupting the continuity of thesurface of said top, said promotional item having first panel membersextending from said top proximate each of said first separations towardssaid bottom and being affixed to said bottom but not to adjacent firstpanel members, preferably said promotional item having second panelmembers extending from said bottom proximate each of said preferredsecond separations towards said top and being affixed to said top butnot to adjacent second panel members, said first and preferred secondpanel members having disposed thereon an image, (for example i) an imageof a hockey player preferably including their history and statistics,ii) an image of a hockey league schedule, iii) an advertisement, and/or,iv) hockey memorabilia or the like, said promotional item beingtransformable from a non-transformed position, wherein said itemsubstantially resembles a hockey puck, to at least a first transformedposition wherein at least one of said first panels is exposed when thepromotional item is manipulated from the non-transformed position to theat least one first transformed position, preferably said promotionalitem also being transformable from the non-transformed position to atleast a second transformed position wherein at least one of said secondpanels is exposed when the promotional item is manipulated from thenon-transformed position to the preferred at least one secondtransformed position, wherein said transformable item may be distributedto the public as a promotional item.
 11. An interactive promotional itemcomprising a predetermined shaped body simulating a gaming object inappearance and shape, said gaming object being selected from the groupof objects of a basket ball, football, baseball, soccer ball or thelike, said gaming object having a split or separation therein so as toenable manipulation or transformation thereof, preferably said objecthaving an image observable when the item is manipulated, said imagebeing selected from the group of images of: i) players which may includestatistical information, ii) schedules, team logos or the like, iii)advertising or the like, wherein said promotional item may bedistributed to the public having an interest in a particular organizedsport.
 12. An interactive promotional item comprising a substantiallydisk shaped body simulating a hockey puck in appearance and shape,preferably said item having a split or separation in said body so as toenable manipulation or transformation thereof, wherein an image of ahockey nature is observable when the body is split, said image beingselected from the group of images as follows: i) hockey players whichmay include statistical information, ii) hockey schedules, team logos orthe like, iii) advertising or the like, wherein said promotional itemmay be distributed to the public having an interest in hockey.
 13. Thesporting object of claim 2, 3, 4, 7, 10, 11, or 12 wherein the noveltyor puzzle or simulated sporting object is manufactured from paper ofsuitable strength or any functional alternative, for example plastic.14. The method of promotion of claim 1, 5, 6, 8, or 9 wherein thenovelty or puzzle or simulated sporting object is manufactured frompaper of suitable strength or any functional alternative, for exampleplastic.